


The Best Laid Plans

by Fire_Kitten



Series: Who Died and Made Me the Hero? [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Don't be put off by the whole death malarkey, F/M, Heavy Angst, I promise the longfic is happier, My First Fanfic, Prequel to a longer fic, SO MUCH ANGST I'M SORRY, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 09:17:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13315137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Kitten/pseuds/Fire_Kitten
Summary: ...usually involve everything going up in flames.Katarina Amell spent the last year of her life, traipsing here, there and fucking everywhere, fighting the Blight and Maker knows what else. The day has finally arrived to fight the Archdemon and bring an end to this chaos.If only it were that easy...





	The Best Laid Plans

**Author's Note:**

> Well, shit I guess I'm committing to this thing then... I'm finally contributing something to the DA ocean in which I float eternally, devouring countless fics. I only vaguely know what I'm doing on any given day so please forgive any grammatical/spelling flubs. Better yet tell me so I can fix them :P it's gonna be UK spellings FYI so don't mind all them extra u's  
> Maker I hope this isn't terrible.

In the shrieking chaos of Denerim, smoke billowed and choked the air as Katarina Amell hacked and slashed her way through the skittering horde towards the looming spire of Fort Drakon. Her nose had long since stuffed up from the blighted reek of the darkspawn blood splattered across her armour that was still attempting to do its duty, despite the numerous slices criss-crossing the enchanted leather. Kat had lost her staff somewhere during the mad rush through the city and had snatched up some poor sod's sword from the ground to wield as wildly as she could manage while lashing bolts of lightning at darkspawn with her free hand. The weeks of training with Alistair after learning the Arcane Warrior magic was enough to make sure she didn't lop off her own head with a sword, but a master of the blade she was not.

Every breath felt like a rusty dagger being carved into her lungs as she ran towards the Fort, Warden stamina didn't count for shit when the air itself was a toxic miasma. Kat's thighs were nearing the consistency of poorly corralled jelly and it was a Maker-damned miracle that she managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. She had to get to that fucking Fort.

Riordan was dead and the Archdemon was crippled but there was still the hardest part to come - striking the final blow and ending this fucking Blight. If she was being honest with herself, Kat had never been more terrified in her life and she'd dealt with a lot of scary shit in the past year. Abominations, werewolves and Broodmothers were almost grumpy kittens compared to the primal terror induced by the Archdemon. 

Finding out that it _had_ to be a Warden to strike the final blow had been a nasty shock, but finding out that doing so would fucking _**kill**_ the Warden had sent a wave of icy calm down Kat's spine. In an instant she decided that it would be her to make the killing blow, if one good thing could come of this it would be that Alistair, dearest, silliest Ali would survive to lead Ferelden's Wardens in her place.

Her resolve was shaken when Morrigan came to her the night before the assault on Denerim offering a shot at salvation. Alistair had taken surprisingly little convincing to complete the ritual, despite his dislike of the witch. Later that night as he held Kat so tightly she wondered if he might crack her ribs, he'd told her that he'd have done anything to guarantee a future with her. He also swore that he would kill the Archdemon, just in case. Kat simply squeezed Ali tighter. Her plan hadn't changed.

At the foot of Fort Drakon Kat found her companions, looking somewhat worse for wear after fighting their way through the city but mercifully everyone was still standing. Alistair's eyes tracked over her body, frantically checking that his love was whole as she did the same to him. Kat grinned at the wild mess of his hair and the piercing focus in those hazel eyes. She didn't want to get ahead of herself fantasising about scrubbing the Blight off both of their bodies, but just for a moment she indulged the thought. 

Tasking Sten, Oghren and Zev to keep any more Darkspawn from entering the Fort, Kat bid them as steady a farewell as she could and led the rest of her companions up what felt like the longest flight of stairs in Thedas. Shale grumbled as usual but today Kat couldn't find the humour in the acerbic golem's distaste for steps, what lay waiting for them was overwhelming her thoughts, the furious screeches of the Archdemon echoing both in her mind and the air around them. It could feel the Wardens coming and it was not going to go nicely into the Void. 

Several dozen darkspawn had gotten into the Fort before them, cutting a path through them wore on Kat's last fucking scrap of patience. Her body was a guttering candle, fretfully gasping on the last dregs of stamina and magic, if they didn't kill the Archdemon quickly she would likely drop dead of sheer exhaustion and then her plan would be shot to shit.

Kat took the first trembling step out onto the terrace at the top of Fort Drakon, her stolen sword quivering faintly in her right hand as sparks crackled between the fingers of her left. Her heart galloped behind her ribs, almost loud enough to drown out the Archdemon. She had a sudden itch to reach for the journal she wasn't even carrying to jot down the goodbyes she hadn't remembered to say. While she was intensely glad that she'd kept Ser Barkly out of the battle by leaving him back at Redcliffe, she fervently wished she could give him one big hug right now. 

Whirling around to face the people who'd become more than friends over the last year, Kat smiled. Her new family was sometimes highly dysfunctional but Maker she loved them all just the same - save the one whose gaze locked on hers with such fierce adoration that her chest ached. Alistair she loved beyond all words, without him Kat knew she'd have crumbled under the pressure of leading their merry band of misfits months ago. He was the unwavering foundation holding her steady as the world convulsed around them.

Taking a deep breath, Kat tucked her sword under her arm and reached for Alistair's face, moulding her lips desperately to his. Maker if only time would stand still and let her feel nothing but this kiss for eternity. Steeling her heart she pulled back, allowing herself a smirk at the dazed look on Alistair's face.

Kat briefly shifted her attention to where Shale stood behind him, holding the golem's gaze a moment before looking back at Alistair. The realisation of what she was about to do hadn't hit him yet.

Mustering a smile, she cupped his cheek, "Alistair Theirin, I love you more than Thedas itself. This past year has been both a nightmare and a wondrous dream, because for all the monsters we faced, I had the honour and the joy of facing them with you at my side. But now... I need you to be safe, so please forgive me."

Kat stepped back as confusion then horror flashed over Alistair's face.

"No-- Kat, you can't!"

"Shale, now please." 

The golem reached out and wrapped her massive arms around Alistair's torso, trapping his arms by his sides before lifting him off the ground.

"NO!"

Her heart splintering at Alistair's anguished cry, Kat turned and began to sprint towards the Archdemon, Leliana, Morrigan and Wynne following close behind. The sound of his desperate shouts grew fainter as Kat neared the monstrous dragon. Dragging together the last of her strength she gripped her sword tight.

It was time to end this.  
*  
*  
*  
When the blinding explosion of white light cleared, Alistair wondered for a moment if he'd gone deaf, so complete was the silence. He discovered otherwise when a grunt of pain escaped him as he pushed himself upright. The blast had thrown them all off their feet, Maker only knew how he didn't end up squashed by Shale. But that didn't matter right now.

Where was Kat?

Alistair staggered to his feet, lurching towards the hulking black shape of the Archdemon on legs that had forgotten how to function. In the edges of his vision he could see movement, but all his focus was on finding Kat, the others could tend to themselves.

His heart had been in his throat at the end, as Kat straddled the Archdemon's neck, sword raised high before she plunged it down through the base of the dragon's skull. Then her arms had crackled with pure lightning that cascaded down the blade as the Archdemon let out an ear-bleeding roar that overwhelmed everything. 

The tower quaked as the dragon shuddered through its final breaths, an aura of white light building around where Kat hung onto the hilt, her eyes squeezed shut. A strange high-pitched noise carried over the deep rumble of the Archdemon that Alistair only realised afterwards, had been Kat screaming in agony before the shockwave ripped across the terrace as the dragon died.

Alistair could see curls of smoke dancing off the hilt of the sword where it sat still buried behind its skull, the stench of charred meat permeating the air. But where was Kat?

She'd have been thrown from the dragon's neck by the blast, and surely would have some injuries when he found her. Hopefully Wynne still had some mana or potions to heal her with. Ritual or not, fighting an Archdemon was going to hurt and he didn't want to think about what damage she did to herself channelling that lightning without a staff. 

But she'd be alive. Morrigan had given her word that the ritual would work; Alistair held on to that promise. He could shout at Kat for keeping him out of the battle later.

"She's here!" 

Leliana's voice ripped Alistair out of his thoughts as he spun in the direction of her voice. Scrambling around the skull he found the redhead stood by the Archdemon’s wing, holding aloft the shredded membrane, revealing the prone form of their beloved leader. Dashing to Kat’s side, Alistair crashed to his knees, hands half-outstretched to smooth the strands of hair away from her blood-splattered face. Kat’s armour was scorched, the bracers burnt almost to tatters, exposing her bare forearms and the fractal patterns still smoking on her skin from her lightning spell. She’d be lucky if those didn’t scar but it would be a pretty impressive reminder of the battle once it healed.

Leaning over, Alistair pressed his forehead against Kat’s, cupping her face in his hands and murmuring softly so only she could hear.

“Come on lazybones, time to wake up. Can’t nap through the clean-up after you made all this mess.”

It took a moment for the feeling of wrongness to kick in. He’d expected to hear a hitch in Kat’s breathing, a huff of laughter or some mumbled response to his joke but there was nothing. Not a sound.

“Kat?” Alistair stared down at that face he adored, searching, praying for a sign that she was merely unconscious, desperately trying to ignore that dark voice in the back of his mind. 

“Kat, you need to wake up. Please Kat.” 

His voice cracked as his hands started to shake, dread hollowing out his chest until he could hardly breathe. Footsteps drew closer and a sharp inhale behind him sent a blinding stab of anguish through his heart. He did not need a confirmation of the devastating truth that was building like a scream ready to rip his soul to shreds.

“Wynne? Is she…?” Leliana couldn’t utter the words and Alistair was grateful for that blessed moment. 

Until it all came crashing down with Wynne’s hushed response.

“Yes I’m afraid so. Andraste guide her to the Maker’s side.”

Suddenly all Alistair could feel was burning, seething fury, so potent he could almost taste it, flickers of red creeping into his vision as he stood up. He vaguely noticed the presence of Zev and the others who’d stayed outside the Fort, their expressions bewildered as he searched for the one person who needed to answer for this catastrophe.

His gaze landed on Morrigan and for the first time since he’d met the witch he actually saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. 

She _should_ be fucking scared.

Ripping his sword free of its scabbard, Alistair took two large strides towards Morrigan.

“YOU PROMISED ME SHE’D LIVE! WHAT DID YOU DO WITCH?!”

Before he could get within striking distance, Morrigan shapeshifted into a crow circling above the tower high enough that Alistair could only bellow his fury helplessly to the sky.

“FINE! FLEE YOU CRAVEN BITCH! **YOU** DID THIS! YOU PROMISED KAT SHE’D SURVIVE AND LOOK WHAT YOUR LIES HAVE WROUGHT! SHE’S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR INFERNAL RITUAL!” 

Alistair’s shout splintered into a sob. “Oh Maker help me, she’s gone…” 

He crumpled to the ground, sword clattering from his numb fingers as the crushing despair finally overwhelmed everything. 

There was nothing to be done.

No way to fix the chasm that had been cleaved through the centre of his world.

She was gone.

Kat was dead and Alistair was left here without her.

This was no victory.

He’d rather the world had burned instead.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm tucking this here at the end because I didn't want to seem super needy. But if you liked this even a *little* bit I'd be super grateful if you let me know in some form or other. I haven't written much of anything in ages so my fragile self-confidence would love a boost.  
> Also it would give me a kick up the ass to actually start writing the connected Inquisition fic that is surely gonna end up stupidly long judging from the 17 pages of planning notes & 12.5K of raw dialogue that I already have XD  
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
